Prominent Colombian politicians and social organizations will hold a march in Bogota on April 9 to express support for ongoing peace talks with rebel group FARC.
The march is organized by former senator Piedad Cordoba, her leftist political movement Marcha Patriotica and her peace group Colombians for Peace, and others will be attended by President Juan Manuel Santos and Bogota mayor Gustavo Petro.
Cordoba displayed her excitement in a tweet saying, “Who would believe, Marcha Patriotica, Peoples Congress, Citizen Power, marching together with President Santos for Peace.”
Quién lo creyera, Marcha Patriótica, Congreso de los Pueblos, Poder Ciudadano, marchando juntos con presidente Santos por la Paz #VivaLaPaz
— Piedad Córdoba Ruiz (@piedadcordoba) March 1, 2013
Human Rights defender and socialist House Representative Ivan Cepada, one of the promoters of this event, told Caracol Radio Tuesday that he hoped people will take to the streets to support peace and the talks with the FARC in Havana.
The march will take place on the same day that Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was assassinated in Bogota 65 years before. Gaitan was a charismatic presidential hopeful who was assassinated, thus sparking the extremely violent “Bogotazo” and “La Violencia.” Gaitan’s death in 1948 is widely considered to be one of the most important events eventually leading to the armed conflict that is still going on today.
Sources
- Piedad Cordoba on Twitter
- Promotores de marcha del 9 de abril celebran apoyo del presidente Santos (Caracol Radio)
